News

Staffordshire Chambers and i-creation are celebrating a major milestone as their business news publication, Daily Focus, has reached 10,000 subscribers.

Since its launch in January, Daily Focus has established itself as a trusted source of information, covering everything from business news and local economic trends to national and international developments.

The success of Daily Focus has been driven by the collaboration between Staffordshire Chambers and i-creation, who have worked together to create a publication that meets the needs of the business community.

With a team of experienced journalists and analysts, Daily Focus provides in-depth coverage of key issues affecting businesses across the region, as well as insights into emerging trends and developments.

Commenting on the news, Chris Plant, Deputy Chief Executive of Staffordshire Chambers, said: “We are delighted to have reached this milestone so quickly. It is testament to the hard work and collaboration between i-creation and our marketing team.

“Daily Focus is an independent publication that is truly valued by the business community and we have had some fantastic feedback since launching in January. We look forward to continuing to provide high-quality news and analysis to our readers in the years to come.”

Subscribe to Daily Focus and receive a free business news bulletin every weekday morning, here.

Online bathroom retailer Bathroom Mountain is moving to a brand new 175,000sq ft facility – which is ready for occupation just 18 months after construction began.

The brand-new purpose-built warehouse, built by Clowes Developments, has office and welfare facilities extending to over 10,000sq ft, spanning over five-floors. The building is nearly double the size of their existing premises located off Brownhills Road leading directly into Tunstall Town Centre.

The latest investment marks further expansion and growth for the family-run businesses.

Bathroom Mountain, a sister company to Tile Mountain, will relocate its entire business to the new 175,000 sq ft building, whilst the former unit will be used for additional storage to benefit both businesses.

Shamila Iqbal, Director at Bathroom Mountain, said: “Bathroom Mountain has witnessed sustained growth since we launched the business back in 2021. As a result, we are investing heavily in a fully automated warehouse with floor-to-ceiling racking which will enable further expansion.

“Tunstall is where our story began, and the majority of our dedicated workforce are based here. We are delighted to have a brand-new facility just a stone’s throw away from our existing premises allowing us to continue to enhance the local area with employment opportunities.”

The team at Bathroom Mountain are currently setting up their bespoke and innovative warehouse storage and picking system in readiness for stock being transferred from their former premises. The online bathroom retailer will be fully operational in their new building before the end of this year.

As a largely rural county, the results of recent research from the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) and global business platform, Xero, will come as no surprise to firms here. For years, they have had to contend with decaying public transport provision, poor internet connectivity and labour problems.

The research shows that the availability of quality public infrastructure and access to skilled labour are entrenching a rural-urban divide among UK SMEs. And rural firms, not surprisingly, are more dissatisfied with the quality and availability of local resources than those in cities.

Across the country, the SME business outlook is subdued. Only half (53%) expect to see turnover growth in the next 12 months, while one in four (27%) expect turnover to shrink over the same period.  And less than a third (30%) of SMEs plan to increase investment in technology, research, and development, while 18% expect a decrease.

High-quality public infrastructure and access to a skilled labour force are both key to the success of a business, in particular SMEs, and the findings indicate that rural businesses are at a significant disadvantage and this is shown by the issues relating to transport:

• Well over half (58%) of SMEs in rural areas do not believe their area has reliable and well-connected trains, compared with just 39% in urban areas but this was higher in the Midlands (51%) than the South of England (36%).
• This rose further still when it came to buses – over three-quarters (79%) in rural or countryside areas do not think they have access to reliable buses.

The rural-urban divide is also evident when it comes to connectivity. While three-quarters (75%) of SMEs overall agree their area has reliable broadband, this rises to 82% in urban areas and falls to around half (56%) in rural areas.

We know that everybody, everywhere is having difficulty finding the right people for the jobs on offer. However, rural companies report a high level of dissatisfaction with their local labour markets; almost two in three (64%) SMEs across the country do not believe their local area has high availability of appropriately skilled labour BUT 72% of rural firms state this as an issue.

Government must urgently prioritise the development of public infrastructure. Such investment will not only enable local and small businesses to adapt and thrive, but it will also create jobs and inject money into local economies across the UK.

However, it is not all doom and gloom and we have some incredibly successful businesses in our rural areas who are forging ahead despite the negative factors listed above.

And we have our Rural Business Forum who have been discussing and acting upon these issues since its formation nearly five years ago. The forum been working with Staffordshire County Council to draw up the Staffordshire Rural Economic Strategy 2023-2030 which aims to tackle these inequalities and level up business competitiveness across the urban-rural divide in the county.

Rural Economic Strategy: 2023-2030 – Staffordshire County Council

If you would like to join our Rural Business Forum or find out more about it you can contact Declan Riddell, declanriddell@staffordshirechambers.co.uk

If you want to talk to us about any business issues, including funding, you can call our switchboard on 01782 202222 or call the Stoke and Staffs Growth Hub Helpline on 0300 111 8002 or email: info@staffordshirechambers.co.uk

A selection of Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce Patrons joined the Black Country Chamber of Commerce for a tour around two of the region’s major attractions.

Twenty-five of the region’s most influential businesses joined Gail Arnold, head of premium membership at the Black Country Chamber, for a tour of Dudley’s Very Light Rail National Innovation Centre (VLRNIC), and to hear from Nick Mallinson, the Director of Business & Innovation at the Black Country Innovative Manufacturing Organisation (BCIMO), on how the centre aims to help to shape and accelerate future industries, such as the emerging Very Light Rail (VLR) industry.

The tour of this £32m multi-purpose centre, which offers a host of unique facilities including a Rail Development and Test Site, Engineering Laboratories, Serviced Offices and an Events Suite, was the first stop of the day followed by a visit to the famous Black Country Living Museum and the chance to ride on a much older mode of transport.

This is part of a range of events taking place for Patron members of Chambers in the West Midlands throughout the year – Staffordshire’s being a of JCB tour in October.

Find out more about Chamber patronage, here. 

On Wednesday we held a launch event at The Quarter at Potbank in Stoke of our Daily Focus online business newsletter – on the day we hit 10,000 subscribers (by chance but what luck). The event was attended by local marketing, PR and business development professionals – our business storytellers in Staffordshire.

It has been hitting the inboxes of subscribers since January and we thought we would hit this milestone in a few months. Thank you to everyone who is already sending us stories and subscribing to hear every weekday about what is happening in the business world of Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.

The guest speaker at the event was former Sentinel editor turned journalism lecturer, Richard Bowyer. Richard spent many years in regional journalism, and he talked about how, up until a few years ago, regional newspapers like the Sentinel, once the lifeblood of an area, were producing up to 120 news, business and sports stories a day, in several editions. Sadly, for printed media we know the all too familiar story with the advent of the internet and the smartphone causing a precipitous fall in the advertising revenue on which papers depended.

Daily Focus is produced by the talented team at i.creation, headed by Andy Jackson and based at Spode Works, working alongside the Chambers marketing department. I am immensely proud that we have built a publication that is relevant, proactive and business-led.

I am excited by the way in which Daily Focus is capturing everything we do as a business community as well as highlighting the big issues that affect us. For example, the reporting on the effect on businesses of the proposed bus gate and clean air zone in our area stirred heated debate as well as meaningful engagement with businesses, local authorities and the Government.

If you are not already a subscriber visit https://daily-focus.co.uk/ to sign up, send in your stories and catch up on everything you need to know about business in Staffordshire.

Inflation rate spike prompts rate rise

An unexpected rise in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rate to 10.4% indicates that the UK economy is still hampered by high inflation. The main drivers of inflation – restaurants and hotels, food, clothing and energy costs – confirm the pressure we see on the hospitality and retail sectors. The longer this goes on, the greater the impact on businesses and consumers with higher prices becoming the norm.

The British Chambers of Commerce’s most recent Quarterly Economic Forecast BCC Economic Forecast: Economy to shrink in 2023  before rebounding (britishchambers.org.uk) expects the inflation rate to ease to 5% by Q4 2023 but small firms still face cost pressures, stifling their ability to invest and grow. While the Producer Price Inflation (PPI) rate has eased to 12.7%, it remains historically high and above CPI.

The March Budget saw little in the way of support for the unprecedented cost pressures businesses face. Relief can come in several forms – for instance, support to transition to more energy efficient sources and improving our trading relationships to ease supply chain difficulties -would be helpful. The Chambers will continue to lobby on businesses’ behalf for an environment more conducive to growth and success.

The decision to increase the interest rate indicates the Bank of England are still pursuing strong action following the surprise rise in inflation.

An interest rate rise alone is a blunt instrument that doesn’t address some of the fundamental causes of inflation such as failure in the energy market and global supply chain shocks.

The cost-of-living crisis and the cost of doing business crisis are two sides of the same coin and SMEs, like consumers, are getting hit from both rising prices and rising borrowing costs. The only way out of this vicious cycle is through taking action to boost economic growth, through investment in infrastructure, skills, and global trade.

Let’s hope economists’ forecasts of inflation falling and interest rate rises stabilising are accurate!

Last call for awards entries!

Finally, entries to the 2023 Staffordshire Chambers Business Awards close on Friday 31^st March at 5pm, so you still have a chance to enter providing you make a start NOW!!!

The awards are a celebration of our amazing business community with 15 categories plus the prestigious ‘Business of the Year’ award, sponsored by HSBC and chosen from the category winners.

Categories range from Young Employee/Apprentice of the Year to large business, and we also have a brand-new special award for the ‘Staffordshire Ambassador of the Year, sponsored by We are Staffordshire.

The special gala evening award ceremony will be held on 13th July at Doubletree by Hilton on Festival Park, Stoke-on-Trent. It is always a fabulous showcase for sponsors and finalists, and a highlight of the business year in Staffordshire.

You never know what winning an award can do for your business and previous Staffordshire Business Awards winners have gone on to further success, for example, at the British Chambers Awards or by being awarded a Queen’s (now King’s) Award for Enterprise.

Finalists shortlisted for an award will be exclusively unveiled in Daily Focus later in the Spring.

To make a start on your entry visit: Awards 2023 – Staffordshire Chambers

If you want to talk to us about any business issues, including funding, you can call our switchboard on 01782 202222 or call the Stoke and Staffs Growth Hub Helpline on 0300 111 8002 or email: info@staffordshirechambers.co.uk

Bros Distillery, an award-winning distillery, has opened its new facility at World of Wedgwood in Barlaston.

The opening marks a remarkable achievement for the company, which was founded just three years ago. The distillery celebrates its connection with the Potteries and local ceramic producers, presenting all SIXTOWNS products in unique kiln-shaped ceramic bottles that capture Stoke-on-Trent’s fine craftsmanship and Potteries spirit.

The new 1050 square metre distillery, located at the far end of the World of Wedgwood courtyard, will include a retail shop and bar, tours, and gin and cocktail masterclasses. It will also be available for private events or corporate hire, providing unforgettable experiences for individuals and business users.

Jemma Harrison, Head of World of Wedgwood, said: “Since reopening after the pandemic, we have strived to enhance the visitor experience at World of Wedgwood, whilst at the same time extending the amenities that the local community can enjoy on their doorstep.

“The focus of our development has been on championing the core values of craftsmanship, creativity and sustainability which are very much at the heart of the Wedgwood founding and future story. The new Sixtowns distillery, joins our own Barlaston factory, Josiah and Co. and Lunar, in showcasing the very best craftsmanship that Stoke-on-Trent has to offer.

“The beautiful cocktail bar encourages our visitors to extend their stay into the evening and enjoy a pre-dinner tipple on the very site where their luxury spirits are produced. It is a huge pleasure to welcome Vitalijs, Alex and the Sixtowns team to World of Wedgwood and see their incredible vision come to life”.

It came as no surprise on Wednesday that Chancellor Jeremy Hunt used his first budget, dubbed as his “back to work budget”, to focus on encouraging those who have left employment over recent months and years to return to the workforce, with help on childcare costs and pension saving incentives for higher earners.

Chamber CEO, Sara Williams reported in her blog a few weeks ago that we have around 30,000 vacancies just in Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire.

This budget was set against the fact that we have narrowly avoided a recession and a forecast that the economy would grow by 1.8 per cent in 2024 and 2.5 per cent in 2025, and with welcome news that inflation is expected to plummet to 2.9% by the end of this year.

However, many businesses will still struggle to pay their energy bills from April, and they cannot invest when they are fighting to survive and there was little in this budget that will provide comfort to these firms.

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is rightly cautious about the impact of the budget on boosting the workforce. On their estimate of the increase in labour supply because of the policies announced in this Budget, they are uncertain stating that “a plausible range could be as high as 240,000 or as low as 55,000 based on alternative plausible assumptions.”

This does not exactly inspire confidence!

The Government also failed to reform business rates which Chambers of Commerce have repeatedly called for. If the UK’s innovative growth industries are to remain competitive on the world stage, then Government must shift the dial further on investment, both within the UK and from overseas.

The most recent British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) survey on investment found that only a fifth of firms were increasing investment and a similar number were reducing it. This budget looks unlikely to change that dynamic as we cannot expect firms to invest when they are fighting to survive.

However, some welcome news from Mr Hunt’s announcement that Stoke-on-Trent has been chosen as one of 20 areas to benefit from a new £400 million Levelling Up partnership. The government has yet to reveal details and it is not known what the projects the money will support. Mr Hunt said the scheme was part of the government’s drive to give ‘more control for local communities over their economic destiny’ which would ‘level up wealth generation and opportunity everywhere’.

Chris Alderman, Tax Director at RSM Stoke-on-Trent who chairs the Chambers’ Money Matters Forum, commented that the Chancellor promised a ‘Budget for Growth,’ but many taxpayers would be forgiven for feeling somewhat underwhelmed by the measures announced from a tax perspective, saying that: “Only time will tell whether the changes announced do anything to address the UK’s low productivity and inspire the ‘economically inactive’ into work.”

You can read Chris’s full summary of the budget in our Daily Focus here: Financial analysis of Chancellor’s budget – Daily Focus (daily-focus.co.uk)

You can also view the British Chambers of Commerce full review of the budget which looks at key issues of skills shortages, business rates, energy support and trade here: BCC IN-DEPTH BUDGET RESPONSE: Measures unlikely to shift dial on business investment (britishchambers.org.uk)

Full details of the Budget including the Chancellor’s full statement can be found here: Spring Budget 2023 – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

If you want to talk to us about any business issues, including funding, you can call our switchboard on 01782 202222 or call the Stoke and Staffs Growth Hub Helpline on 0300 111 8002 or email: info@staffordshirechambers.co.uk